Thy Secrets To Keep
by silvergryphon06
Summary: In the months following the defeat of Gozer, Danni has come home to New York to start over, both in her life and with her brother, Egon. As relationships blossom and wither, the Ghostbusters must unlock long buried secrets; secrets that were carried to the grave, yet still haunt the living. Rated M for language and future Chaps.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_**And here we go, boys and girls, a Ray/OC centric chapter story! I'm super excited about this and I hope you guys enjoy it! Please, feel free to read, review, and, of course, enjoy! (In case anyone is wondering, this does take place between GB1 and GB2, the exact date will be revealed in the story.) **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except a gremlin...**

* * *

His smile was the only reason she had stayed.

Her footsteps echoed hollowly across the vast, cavernous space, a dull clomping as the heels of her boots connected with the concrete floor. The long, white and red car that was parked just inside shone in the artificial lights, obviously well cared for, despite the neglect the building had been clearly undergoing. The young woman hooked her thumb through a belt loop of her snug jeans, dark green eyes lazily roving over the soaring ceiling, the dusty filing cabinets, and the racks of tools. Idly, she shoved the other hand through the short, dark curls that brushed her neck before letting it fall back over the thick black strap of her duffel bag. Another, thinner strap ran over the curve of her shoulder, tightening her black t-shirt against her chest.

When she got to the propped hood of the car, she grinned as her eyes landed on a khaki-covered male rear. Smoke curled from the engine as the man bent over, a flash of metal in his hand as he made a wrenching motion. With a roll of her shoulders, she dropped her bags and they thumped to the floor.

"Such a warm welcome home," she commented, lips still curved in a grin and her hands on her hips.

The sound of her voice brought his head up, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he half-turned.

"I know that voice," he muttered, before lifting a greasy hand to pluck the cigarette from his mouth and turned around fully.

A huge grin split his features, his eyes crinkling and he grabbed her up in a bear hug. Her feet dangled in the air as he straightened to his full height, spinning her around as she squirmed against him.

"Danni!" he crowed and she struggled to breathe in his tight embrace.

"Ray! Ray, I can't breathe!" she told him in a strangled voice.

"Oh, oh, sorry!" he immediately released her and she staggered.

His hands held onto her arms to help her keep her balance. She winced, her ribs aching, then let out a breathless laugh. Looking up at him, she wrapped her arms around him, his automatically curling around her petite frame and leaving large swaths of dirt, grease, and grime.

"It's so good to see you, Ray," she confided in his ear, biting her lip through her smile at the knowledge that she was going to have to throw away the t-shirt and resign the jeans to the work clothes only pile.

Then she pulled back, patting his shoulders.

"Where's Peter? And Egon?"

He jerked his head towards the door that she had entered from.

"Peter's taping his new show at a studio downtown. Egon's here, though, in the basement. Listen, how'd you know where to find us?"

Danni leaned to the side and pointed to the brightly painted logo on the side of the car.

"Who doesn't know where the infamous Ghostbusters live?"

He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with a dirty hand.

"Yeah, I didn't think that question through."

She lifted a hand to tap his cheek lightly then lifted her brows, gesturing to the still smoking cigarette between his fingers as he leaned back against the car.

"Got another one?"

He nodded, slapping his hand against the front of his coveralls and digging into the pocket to produce a crumpled pack. He held it out to her and she tugged one out, reaching into her back pocket for a lighter. Placing it to her lips, she lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, breathing out the smoke with a contented sigh.

"Ah, menthol. You know the way to my heart, Ray."

He chuckled softly, then tilted his head at her.

"So what's brought you back to New York? I thought you had run off to Texas or Oklahoma or someplace to 'see life outside the big city'."

She shook her head, another stream of smoke blowing out of the corner of her mouth.

"Montana," she said, giving him a teasing look, "and I went because I had some growing to do. Nice to know you guys pay such close attention."

His expression was curious.

"Now how is what you said different than what I said?"

"Because I didn't make it sound like I was some petulant teenager running off into the wild blue yonder to prove something."

A trace of a smile played around his lips, his arms crossing across his chest.

"Weren't you?"

Danni finished the cigarette, leaning down and extinguishing it on the sole of her boot before flicking away the butt into a nearby trashcan.

"Doesn't mean we have to call it that, now does it?"

Ray shook his head at her, but whatever remark he was going to make died on his lips as an exceptionally tall man strode through a side door near the back, shutting it behind him firmly. His head was bent, not even bothering to watch where he was going as his white lab coat billowed behind him, apparently intently focused on the contents of the manilla folder in his large hands. Exchanging a glance with Ray, who was giving her a reassuring smile, Danni straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath.

"Good morning, Egon," she called out, lifting her voice and forcing a cheerful note into her tone.

Dark brown eyes glanced up and Egon stopped dead in his tracks, his expression blank. Danni took a couple of running steps towards him and, sending a silent prayer upwards, tackled him.

She heard the air whoosh out of his lungs, papers flying into the air like a flock of startled seagulls. Whether it was their immense height difference or perhaps he simply possessed good reflexes, no one could have been certain, but Egon managed to find his feet before they were sent careening painfully into the concrete.

His arms encircled her waist out of sheer instinct, steadying her against him. Danni breathed in the scent of ozone, ink, and something sharp that she couldn't identify. Wrinkling her nose, she lifted her cheek from the middle of his chest and looked up at him with a frown.

"What have you been bathing in, big brother o' mine? Velveta Cheese?"

He looked down at her mildly.

"I've been testing the consistency of ectoplasm downstairs. And I'm your half-brother, Dorothy."

The hopeful and playful mood she had been in withered and died with a hurtful tightening in her chest. Awkwardly, she stepped away from him, her eyes vacant as she dropped her arms to her sides.

"Yes, how silly of me to forget. Forgive me, Egon," she inclined her head, his expression never changing and she blinked her eyes rapidly, "Well, its nice to see that you are alive and relatively healthy. I'll see you in another four or five years."

As she turned, he gently caught her arm.

"You didn't call," he said quietly and she gave him a sardonic smile.

"I doubt that bothered you too terribly much," she replied bitterly.

He just kept staring down into her eyes, then shook his head.

"Don't act like that. You know that we worried for you, all of us."

His words were softly spoken, but they hit her hard. Her gaze softened.

"I know you did, but I have a hard time believing that they did."

Something flashed across his features and his frown deepened as he released her arm.

"Did you come back just to debate with me?"

She raised her eyebrows.

"Isn't that what siblings are for?"

"Half-siblings," he corrected her again and she scowled, "and no, the purpose of having multiple children-"

"Do not," she cut him off, pointing up at him with a glare, "start that crap with me, Egon Spengler. I came home because I wanted to see my broth- pardon the slip, half-brother. That and to see some of my old friends, see the city again and to entertain the notion of coming back here for good."

"Really, Danni?"

She looked back over her shoulder at Ray, who was grinning excitedly and she felt her black mood lifting a bit.

"It's a serious possibility," she answered with a small smile, a happy flush tinging her cheeks.

Egon pushed his glasses back with a finger.

"And that's why you came here? To tell me this? To let me know that you were back?"

"No," she snapped, his need to repeat the obvious both irritating and reminding her of the partial reason she left in the first place, "I came by to ask if I could finally your leather bound copy of Darwin's _The Origins of Species."_

He blinked a few times, opened his mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it, his frown turning disapproving.

"I am not going to partake of this pointless conversation if you aren't going to take it seriously."

She smirked, her arms loosely crossing beneath her breasts.

"Wanna bet on that, Jolly Green?"

His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. She stepped closer to him, her eyes widening.

"Wow," she breathed, reaching a finger out to poke him in the stomach lightly, "it almost looks human."

He was glaring at her.

"Dorothy," he said, his tone a warning, as if he was scolding a child and it only served to make her angrier.

"God, I hate that name! Fine, fine," she let out a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Look, I'm sorry, Egon. I promise to not interfere with your work if that's what you want and I'm sorry if my coming by here has done that. I didn't want to start an argument with you. I just..." she trailed off, chewing on her bottom lip then shook her head, "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm- I'll just grab my stuff. See you around, Egon."

Spinning on her heel, she strode back towards Ray, bending over and grabbing her two bags in a single, fluid motion. Dammit, she should have known this was going to happen. Egon hadn't changed in the three years she had been gone, why on earth had she expected him to? He was as impregnable and predictable as his father, inheriting none of the spontanaity or warmth of their mother. Or, if he had, he was damned good at hiding it. Then she let out a breath as she hung one of the bags over her shoulder. He really didn't mean anything by it, he was just a stickler for details. It wasn't in his nature to be mean-spirited or harsh with another human being. Shoving her thoughts to the back of her mind, she gave Ray a weak smile. She would deal with the growing ball of anxiety later.

"Tell Pete I said 'hello', will you, Ray?"

"Why can't you say it? Pretty cowgirl got your tongue?"

Danni looked and spotted Venkman strolling into the old headquarters with a smug smirk. When he reached her, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a small squeeze.

"Hello, Pete. Better?" she asked, giving him a bright smile that she didn't really feel at that moment.

"Indubitably. And I'd say that the rural life agreed with you, Danni girl. Didn't change those big green eyes though. It was the only way I recognized you. You should look more like Egon, that way I won't lose track of you in this city," he teased and she poked him in the ribs.

"Are you implying that I'm short and plain?"

He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"Now why would I say something like that when I could ask you to join me this evening for dinner instead? Say, at seven?"

Chuckling dryly, Danni shook her head as he released her shoulders and took a step back from her.

"I don't think so, Pete. To be honest, I have a bus to catch."

He frowned, but before he could ask her anything, Ray spoke up, his voice soft.

"Aw, c'mon, Danni, stay with us for a few days, at least. Look, we can help you look for an apartment, maybe even a part time job?"

She hesitated, biting on her lower lip and looking down at the toes of her boots. Then she glanced up and he was smiling at her; that warm, happy, sweet smile that always had a way of melting any resistance she had to whatever kooky idea he had come up with. Danni sighed and shook her head.

"Alright, you win. Where can I put my stuff?"

* * *

Ray dropped her bags onto the narrow bed at the back of the room. He had led her upstairs, past a still frowning Egon and warning her to stay away from the railing of the staircase while Peter had stayed downstairs. He must have noticed her distracted expression, because he reached out a gave her hand a squeeze.

"He'll come around, don't worry so much. It'll be alright, you'll see."

She let out a huff of breath, a small smile starting bloom around her lips.

"Always an enthusiastic optimist."

He gave her a wink and the smile blossomed into a full fledged grin. Danni tugged his hand and folded him into a hug.

"I missed you, Ray," she murmured into his shoulder, breathing in motor oil, cigarettes, and the musty scent of books that always hung around him like a old, worn coat.

His arms wrapped around her.

"Missed you too, Danni. Now, c'mon, let's see if you still know your way around a car. I could use an assistant."

Releasing him, she stepped back and then fell in behind him as he led her back downstairs. Danni peered around for a moment, relieved that her brother was no where in sight. As soon as her foot hit the concrete, her attention became riveted on the car. The hood was still up and Ray was standing over it, his arms folded. Danni came around him and propped her elbows on the front fender.

"So what's the problem?"

Ray leaned over and braced his hands on the front bumper, a newly lit cigarette dangling from his lips.

"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Everytime we push the Ecto, in terms of speed, mind you, it starts rattling and chattering away like some squirrel who's found the-"

"Easy on the metaphors, Ray. You checked the oil, right?"

He nodded.

"Yeah."

"And the piston pins? None of them are loose or wiggly?"

"Wiggle-free."

Danni reached into the engine, leaning far over so that she could probe the jumble of metal and black grime. She slipped her hands over the carburettor, checked the alternator and oil filter.

"Filter's clean, sparkplugs are brand new, no problem there," she muttered, wiping at a stray hair that was tickling her cheek and leaving a streak of dirt in its place, "Hand me a wrench, will ya?"

Cold metal kissed her palm and she brought it down, twisting it around the head of the bolt.

"What is it with Cadillacs and their stupid, complicated engines? What is this, a '57?"

She heard a chuckled behind her as she neatly placed the bolts she removed in a single row on the fender across from her.

"Close, '59."

Danni shook her head.

"Whoever you got this from must have been giving the damned thing away."

There was no reply, but she could almost see the embarassed flush in his cheeks. The last bolt came loose and she set the wrench aside, prying the hotdog shaped metal covering upwards before plopping it on top of the filter.

"Did you check in here yet?" she asked, feeling like half of her body was crammed into the small space as she craned her neck to peer about.

"Yeah, nothing was wrong that I could see."

Danni wriggled her hand around, working from memory since she couldn't see around the limb.

"There's the pistons. You're right, they're nice and tight. Oh, hang on. Hello there," she said, her brow furrowing.

She turned her head to look up at Ray.

"Did you run your hand over the crankshaft?"

When he shook his head, she jerked hers, pulling her hand free and wiping it on a nearby rag. He came closer and bent down, sticking his fingers as far as he could into the tight space and his brows rose.

"Feels like the end of the shaft's been rubbing here. Too much endplay."

She nodded.

"That's what I thought. It would explain the rattling noise. You'll have to replace it."

Ray let out a strema of smoke as he sighed, holding his cigarette between his fingers as he straightened. His other hand braced against his waist and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I think you're right."

Danni lifted her shoulder in a shrug, then reached up and plucked the cigarette from between his lips. He glanced down at her before offering an amused grin as she took a deep drag.

"Shouldn't be too expensive. We could probably go pick one up right now. I don't know about installing it though, that means lifting out the entire engine."

She handed him back the cigarette with a frown, green eyes roving over the garage area. "And I don't see anything we could use as a crane or a lift."

Ray let out a grunt as he leaned back over the car.

"Might have to run it over to a repair shop then."

Danni shook her head, chewing on her bottom lip.

"I hate to do that, specially when we don't even have to pull the entire engine out, just-"

She trailed off, suddenly struck by an idea.

"I've got it! Run get that shaft, I'll be back by the time you are."

He caught her hand as she went to dash past him.

"Hang on, hang on! Where are you-"

He didn't get to finish the question, her lips pressing against his cheek silencing him. She rocked back to her heels and beamed up at him.

"Gotta notion, no time to talk, be back later," she spoke so fast and while rushing off he had a hard time keeping up, although he heard her call loud and clear over her shoulder as she rushed out of the door, "trust me!"


	2. Chapter 2

True to her word, by the time Ray got back with the part, she was once again bent over the engine, up to her elbows in grease and grime. A forklift was parked just behind her as she tinkered, squirming her way under the oil sump to slip a thick belt beneath it. Leaning to her right, she slid the end through until she could catch it with her free hand, the metal hook attached to it clanging metallically. Ray drew up beside her, half-turning to point at the machine at their backs.

"Wanna fill me in here?"

Dark green orbs glanced up at him, twinkling in the artificial lighting as she straightened, clamping the fastener securely onto the enormous hook that hung suspended in the air.

"I remembered seeing a hardware store about two blocks over, so I thought they might lend me their forklift for a bit."

She omitted the breaking and entering, figuring what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

"That was awfully nice of them. Is it strong enough to haul that engine up though?"

Danni nodded absently, her mind focused on checking her improvised set-up.

"I think so. The hydraulic lines on the lift seem a bit worn, but we're only lifting this thing just enough to put in the shaft and then setting it right back down. Did you check the measurements before you left?"

"Oh, right, yes, I did."

"Great. Now, let's get these things out of the way so that we don't lose any parts in the process."

Swiftly, they gathered the various bolts, pieces of metal, and scattered parts that had been taken out, placing them on a nearby table. As they moved back to the Ecto-1, the door leading down into the basement opened, Peter emerging through it and strolling towards them.

"Freddie, my man, what sure-to-fail trap have you set up for the bad guy in a monster suit this time?" he asked, throwing an arm around Danni's shoulders as she stood next to the lift.

"One that you're sure to foul up, Danger-prone Daphne, if you don't move," she replied, her tone brisk, though her eyes danced mischieviously.

"You wound me," his hand went over his heart and Danni rolled her eyes along with her shoulders, dislodging Venkman's arm.

She climbed into the seat of the forklift and leaned out to look over at Ray.

"Ready?"

He held up his thumb and she started the engine, easing back on the lever slowly, her foot firmly on the brake. She could feel the machine straining as it began to pull, the belt tightening. Danni hunched over the wheel, watching everything carefully. When she was satisfied that the car's engine was high enough, she killed the lift, making sure to engage the emergency brake just in case.

"Let's work fast, Ray, I don't trust this thing," she said as she hopped down.

He nodded, ratcheting off bolts and handing them to her. She pocketed them, then slid into position as he lifted away the cylinder block. Danni unbolted the old shaft and deftly replaced it with the newer part, pleased with its fit. The bolts were quickly removed from her pockets and twisted back into position. As soon as Ray finished putting the block back onto the engine, she clambered back into the open forklift cab.

Turning the key with a sharp jerk, the ignition caused a shudder, then a steady vibrating hum as the forklift came to life once again. Easing the lever forward, Danni lowered the metallic monstrosity back into its place, relieved when it fit smoothly. Cutting the power to the lift, she then climbed down and unstrapped the belt from around the Ecto's engine, wiping her hands on the dirty rag Ray handed her.

"There," she said with a pleased smile, "that should take care of any engine problems you were having."

Ray clapped her on the shoulder, an easy grin on his lips.

"Couldn't have done it without you. I don't know of anyone else who can find their way around a car better than you, Danni."

She chuckled quietly.

"Comes from _years_ of boredom due to a brother who refused to play and insisted that I try to learn something useful. He probably was thinking that I should put my chemistry set to good use, but he never complained when I tinkered with his car when we were teenagers."

"Egon's a science-loving geek, but he's not entirely clueless," Venkman interjected, coming to stand next to the grease-covered pair, "He knows a deal when he sees one and having a gorgeous, mechanically inclined sister most definitely has its perks."

Danni glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, quirking a brow.

"Still not going to dinner with you, Pete."

His expression was one of exaggerated innocence, but Danni just waved a hand at him dismissively. Reaching across the worn seat of the lift, she plucked the keys from the ignition and tossed them to Venkman.

"Go return this hunk of junk to the hardware store's warehouse. I'm going to take a shower," ignoring Peter's sputtering protest, she half-turned to Ray, "It's the first door on the left when you go upstairs, right?"

Ray nodded.

"Yep, and there should be a clean towel hanging on the rack. Soap's in there too, though it might smell a little manly."

She grinned up at him as she moved past.

"Well, anything's an improvement on how I smell right now. Thanks."

* * *

Danni climbed the steps two at a time, grabbing a hold of the post at the top of the rickety banister and swinging around to the right. The upper floor was open, the exception being the bunk room near the back. Her green eyes roved for a moment, taking in the mountains of empty cartons, pizza boxes and beer bottles. Shaking her head mildly, she made a mental note to ask where they kept the trash bags and strode towards a dark wood door to her left. Throwing it open and then closing it, the lock clicking behind her, she swiftly shimmied out of her filthy clothes. Toeing out of her boots, she set them near the door, noting the dark paneling and cheap linoleum of the small changing room. Twin benches lined the walls, pegs marching in a straight, neat row above each one.

Not wanting to sully the towel before she was clean, Danni grabbed up a wash cloth she found in the tiny linen cabinet in the corner. The open doroway to the shower room was wide and she was impressed by the size of the actual shower. Several low, white tile walls separated the room into a series of stalls, three shower heads glinting in the artificial light. Choosing the middle one, Danni peered in and was pleased to see a large bar of soap. The scent wasn't all that masculine, she thought, as she lifted the white cake to her nose and sniffed. It was a pleasantly clean smell.

The showerhead burst with water, steam almost immediately starting to rise when she turned the knob. Letting out a yelp, she adjusted it until it was no longer scalding. She worked the bar into the cloth, making a rich, thick lather and started scrubbing. By the time she had her arms adequately clean, the skin was pink and starting to feel tight, raw.

As Danni bent down to start on her legs, she felt goosebumps erupt across the flesh of her back, a chill air wafting behind her and causing a shiver to race up her spine.

It felt like eyes were on her, unfriendly and most assuredly unwelcoming. Jerking upright, her head whipped back and forth as she spun around, searching for the source of the sensation. The water pounded down onto her shoulders and steam clouded the room, making everything damp and glisten with moisture.

Danni was alone.

"Not again," she whispered under her breath, twin leaden serpents of anxiety and fear slithering to constrict painfully in her chest.

Her eyes darted frantically around the room, even as she tried to ignore the heavy feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach and finish cleaning her body. A bottle of turquoise liquid rested on the wall to her right and she lifted it in a slightly tremulous hand. The shampoo was thick and cold in her palm as she poured out a generous amount before working it into her hair. Her fingers ran through the short strands, digging her fingernails lightly into her scalp. Despite the soap running down the sides of her face, she refused to close her eyes, even when they began to sting.

Rinsing off as quickly as she could, Danni reached behind her and turned off the water, listening to the last droplets tapping against the drain mingle with the sound of her breathing. Carefully, she stepped out of the stall and towards the changing room, wrapping the threadbare blue towel around her body. Water ran down her skin in rivulets, dropping from the curled ends of her wet hair to splash coldly across her shoulders. Tying a quick knot, Danni decided that she could leave her clothes where they were. The watched sensation didn't abate even as she reached for the doorknob, both hands wrapping around the brass fixture.

That was when the lights went out.

Danni choked back the scream that built in her throat, frozen in place as her heart thudded dully against her ribs. Blood was roaring in her ears, then turned to ice when a soft, feminine giggle echoed behind her. Adreneline shot through her system and she wretched the door open, dashing into the warm light of the kitchen area.

But her feet were still wet and she slipped, the wooden floor slick as her damp feet lost their traction. With a loud crash, her legs swept out from under her and she hit the floor on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Dimly, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs before they stopped abruptly.

"Danni? You alright up there?" A voice called up from the staircase to her right, one she recognized as Ray.

"Yeah," she wheezed, gasping for air before trying again, more strongly, "Yeah, I'm fine. I- I just slipped on the floor. Nothing's broken."

"Are you sure? Do you need some help?"

The footsteps were coming closer.

"No," she yelled back forcibly, slight panic making her tone harsher than she had intended, "I-I'm not dressed!"

Silence greeted her reply as she rolled onto all fours, one hand coming up to grip the edge of the towel. Feeling guilty, Danni called out again, her head turning towards the stairwell.

"I appreciate it, Ray, but I'm fine. Just had the wind knocked out of me. Give me a minute and you can come up."

"Al-alright," came the hesitant response and Danni's feeling of contrition deepened.

She turned back around and felt her breath catch.

The shower room was still pitch black dark, looking for all the world like some murky portal. Danni could make out what looked like darker shadows flickering within the gloom, an atramentous dance of shades and indistinct, deep haze. Then a pair of eyes appeared in the stygian blackness, glinting at her malevolently. She knew they were eyes, despite the lack of pupils, though how she knew she could not have said. Their color reminded her of yellow, rottening teeth, decayed, twisted, and sickening; she felt bile rise in her throat.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, her skin prickling unpleasantly as those orbs bored into hers.

* * *

Then, just as quickly as they appeared, they were gone. Danni's pulse, surprisingly, was slow, though erratic and she could almost feel her blood pushing sluggishly through her veins. She couldn't think, she could barely breathe as she crouched on the floor, motionless. The room looked harmless now, and the watched sensation had lifted, leaving her feeling empty and drained. A cold drop of water dripped onto the tip of her nose, slamming her back into reality and motion. Hastily, she pushed herself up from off the floor and padded to the bunkroom. With a shaky hand, she jerked the zipper of her duffel bag and gulped air through her nose and parted lips.

She had to calm down. She couldn't show fear; no hesitation, no acknowledgement, just ignore it and it would go away just like before. Quickly, Danni dressed herself, not caring that her fresh t-shirt and cotton pants now clung to her still damp skin. Running the towel through her hair, she scrubbed it roughly before tossing it into a corner, promising herself she would wash it later.

"I'm done, Ray, you can come up now," she shouted, digging out her round, wooden brush and combing it through her messy curls.

The even fall of his footsteps on the stairs soothed her somewhat, the sound returning her world to some semblance of normality. She saw him pass by the door, lifting a hand to him as he walked by and he returned the gesture. Danni forced a smile on her face, but it fell into a deep frown when he entered the shower.

Thoughts spun in her mind like a high-powered ferris wheel. Was she going insane? She didn't think so. Danni dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed, her hand falling from her hair into her lap. Other people had seen what she had, had experienced the sensations that creeped through her. Shaking her head to clear it, she dismissed the introspection.

God, she needed a cigarette.

Following up on a hunch, Danni placed her brush on the flat top of the stand right next to her and pulled open the drawer to the nightstand beside her narrow bunk, a pleased expression flitting over her features at her discovery. Tapping the bottom of the open pack, she picked up the lighter that had rested just beside the white and green carton and clicked the red tab. A stream of smoke blew from between her lips and she leaned back against the wall, drawing her legs up to her chest.

As she lifted the cigarette to her lips for another drag of cool nicotine, Venkman strolled into the room. He glanced at her, then away, then back again as he moved to a bunk, one that she assumed was his.

"Danni, you ok?"

His brow was furrowed in concern as he looked at her, his hands in his pockets. She nodded, extinguishing the butt of her cigarette in an ashtray the rested on the nightstand.

"Yeah, I'm alright, just tired, I guess."

He tilted his head at her.

"You're white as a sheet," he commented and she rolled her eyes at him, the corner of her mouth lifting in a crooked smile that she didn't really feel.

"Thanks for noticing my alabaster complextion. Doesn't attract much attention, but it's nice when someone appreciates it," she joked.

He gave her a look that clearly indicated his suspicion, his brow raised, but he seemed to let it go. Grateful, Danni stood up and stretched her arms up over her head, the vertabrae of her back cracking in a series of loud pops. Venkamn winced.

"That sounded painful."

She let out a breathy laugh, lowering her arms. Chewing on her bottom lip for a brief moment, she asked the question that

"Felt amazing, actually. Is Egon still in the basement?"

"Yeah, he's working on something or other down there," Peter answered distractedly, crouched down and rummaging through a pile of clothes tucked just under his bunk.

Nodding, she hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her pants, her fingertips rubbing over the soft material. Little unicorns with wings pranced over the fabric that covered her legs as she walked out of the bunk room and into the larger living area. A set of arcade games caught her eye and she felt more tension ease, lifting from her shoulders. The sound of the shower running echoed from across the room, the sloping, vaulted ceiling creating a cavernous, open space that Danni found more comfortable than it had been just a little while ago.

Bumping the side of her fist against the large machine before trailing her fingers over the bright, cheesy graphics. With a regretful sigh, she left the game for a later time, making her way down the stairs. Slipping through the swinging wooden gate, Danni opened the door leading down to the basement. She made sure her footsteps were loud enough to be heard as she descended.

Danni saw Egon hunched over a long worktable, looking through what she assumed was a microscope.

"Hey, Egon," she said, her bare feet finding the cold concrete floor.

"Dorothy," he returned in his deep monotone, raising his head momentarily to regard her blandly, "I see your penchant for the whimsical hasn't diminished."

"Love you too, big bro," she quipped back with a smirk, approaching him, her fingers twisting around themselves, "Still working on that ectoplasm stuff you mentioned?"

"Indeed, though it would be much easier without distractions."

"Sorry," she apologized quietly, biting her lip, her fingers lacing together in front of her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she added, "Egon, I know you're busy, but I-I wanted to ask you something."

Something in her tone must have caught his attention, because he straightened, his hands finding their way into the pockets of his labcoat. His expression was grave, but that wasn't so unusual. Despite their differences, he was her brother and he had always been willing to listen to her, even when he considered what she was saying as ridiculous. If she confided in him now, she wondered if it would be one of those moments.

Egon had always been fascinated by the paranormal, an interest that had led him to becoming partners, then friends with both Peter and Ray. Danni had shared that passion, grouping up with other like-minded individuals when she was a teenager to roam through graveyards, breaking into abandoned houses in search of the unexplained and the intangeble.

Danni had seen things that she couldn't explain and had walked the fine line between interest and obsession. Egon, however, had dipped over that line, allowing the unexplainable, the world of the dead, to become his life's work. If anyone could give her answers, could ease her mind, it would be him.

"Yes?" he asked her, bringing her mind back around to the present.

Danni hesitated, lowering her gaze from her brother's deep brown one. Suddenly feeling very awkward and rather chilled, she wrapped her arms around her middle, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. He waited patiently as she internally debated with herself. Finally, she looked up again.

He was watching her expectantly and Danni came to the conclusion that, ultimately, she just wasn't sure that she was ready to tell him anything. The walls had been up too long, the gap between them painfully obvious and it silenced her desire to reach out to him.

So, she gave him a tentative smile.

"You know what? Nevermind. It-it's not important."

He gave her an almost identically skeptical look that Venkman had given her earlier.

"If you're certain," he intoned slowly and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's probably nothing," she glanced down at the floor then back up once more with that same smile, "Good night, Egon."

He gazed at her for a long moment, parted his lips as if to say something, then seemed to think better of it. Tugging at the hem of her t-shirt, she turned on her heel and started up the stairs.

"Good night...Danni."

The sound of her nickname in his baritone timbre hit her hard and she felt her throat constrict, but instead of in fear, this was a sweeter emotion.

Maybe the distance between them wasn't irrepairable.


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: _Thank you guys for the reviews and the favorite/alerts! Please continue to let me know what you all think and please enjoy! :D**

* * *

Her eyelids fluttered open and her first impression was the softness of the pillow that rested against her cheek. Raising herself up to her elbow, it sunk into the mattress and Danni rubbed her eyes blearily with her free hand. With a yawn, she slowly slid from under the covers, swinging her legs over the side of her bunk. She was alone in the room, noting that the men must have let her sleep in.

Shaking her head, Danni stood and bent over to rummage around in her duffel bag as it rested just under her bed. Grabbing a plastic bag, she then strode out into the kitchen area, pulling out a bright blue toothbrush and a tube of paste. When her mouth no longer felt disgusting, she set her things to the side and started opening the cabinets that lined the wall next to the sink.

"Nothing but sugar," she commented to no in particular as her dark green eyes roved over the row of cereal boxes.

Shrugging, she plucked one at random, pleased to see Frosted Flakes emblazoned across the front. Danni sat down at the table after nabbing a clean bowl and spoon. The corn flakes jangled against the ceramic bottom of the bowl as she shook them out of the box, then closed the lid back up. She opened the fridge door and lifted up the milk carton, checking the expiration date before she poured it over her breakfast. After clearing a space on the table and sliding her bum onto the table, she propped her feet on the nearest chair. Sweet flakes crunched as she chewed, humming in enjoyment.

Footsteps on the staircase alerted her to someone's approach and she looked up expectantly, smiling as Ray's cheerful countenance greeted her gaze.

"Good morning!" he crowed blithely and she waved at him with her spoon before she dipped it back into the bowl.

"Mornin', Ray," she replied, taking another bite of cereal.

He strode over to her, his boots clunking against the hard wood floor. The hem of his denim jacket folded back as he put his hands in the pockets of his khaki slacks.

"Got any plans today?" he asked her casually, his eyes twinkling and making her think that the question was less than innocent.

"Not especially, no. I was playing around with perhaps poking at my brother while he worked on one of his experiments, but one can tempt fate only so much in a week and I think I may have hit my limit."

Her eyes were playful, sparkling with good humor.

"I suppose you're right. So, in light of your predicament and in order to keep you out of a grumpy scientist's way, how would you like to help me over at my store?"

Danni tilted her head inquisitively.

"I didn't know you owned your own store, Ray," she said with a smile as she scooped another large portion of cereal from her bowl, munching cheerfully.

He nodded.

"Indeed I do, and I need a hand with organizing."

Laughing around her spoon, she pulled from her mouth with an audible pop and hopped down from the table.

"That I can believe. Tell you what, you help me with these dishes and I'll help you with your merchandise. Deal?"

She stuck out her hand and he looked down at it before his eyes flicked back up to hers for a brief moment. Then he nodded with a grin and shook her hand firmly.

"You've got yourself a deal, young lady."

Frowning in a mock offended manner, Danni batted at his arm with her spoon.

"I'm not an eighteen year old kid, Ray, and only ten years younger than you."

He sighed, rolling up his sleeves.

"An entire decade, Good Lord, that makes me feel like an old man."

Shooting him a glance and pursing her lips a moment, Danni let him precede her to the sink, a devious notion taking root. As soon as he passed her, she reached out a swatted his rear, passing him casually. He half-turned, his eyes wide with shock and she gave him a crooked smile.

"Might be an old man, but you've got a firm butt."

Her words only seemed to stun him further and she bit her lip to keep from laughing at his expression. Instead, she placed her bowl in the sink and began running warm water, pouring soap into the clear liquid. Danni looked at him when he still didn't move and she raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, Ray? You wanna help me out here or is the deal off?"

Seeming to gather his wits, he nodded mutely and moved to stand next to her, clean dishrag in hand. Quickly and efficiently, they finished the dishes, stowing them away neatly in the cabinets. When Danni turned around to ensure that she had snatched up every dirty untensil, every stained coffee mug, she shuddered.

"Seriously, when we get back...I am going on a rampage up here. How do you three stand it?"

He gave her a curious look, a cursory glance around the area revealing bewilderment.

"Stand what?"

She stared at him blankly for several seconds, before slowly shaking her head and gesturing with her fingers.

"Nevermind. Give me two minutes to change out of these clothes and I'll meet you downstairs."

He nodded, still frowning a bit, but hopped down the stairs all the same. Danni padded back into the bunk room, tugging her shirt over her head and shimmying out of her sleep pants. Rolling her shoulders, she put on deodorant, then a clean shirt from her duffel bag. Tugging up her fresh pair of jeans, Danni sat on the bed to tie the laces of her beat-up sneakers.

An unsettling sensation suddenly crawled up her spine, like icy fingers raking down her back and Danni's eyes widened, her entire body stiffening.

"Oh, shit," she whispered with the air that was left in her lungs, her breath hanging in the air, a visible fog as if the word had solidified.

Her mouth had dried, her breathing coming in tiny gulps and it was like breathing snowflakes, sharp and cold, as a heaviness descended around her. Danni's pulse sped up as she slowly put her foot back on the floor. Almost too apprehensive to blink, Danni straightened, fighting back against the panic that was clogging her throat.

Emotions rocketed through her, a revolving door of anxiety, fear, anger, and agitation that pinned her in place as securely as if she had been bolted to the bed. Then she heard that damned giggle from behind her, close to her shoulder and at that point all the breath that she had in her body, left her. She felt as if someone had washed her in ice water. The muscles in her jaw jumped and contracted as she fought to keep her teeth from chattering.

When she had been a child, she had often watched neighborhood cats stalk through the alleyways and streets that crisscrossed the city. Their sleek bodies moved silently, craftily, moving closer to any prey that their gold-green eyes had landed upon. It was slow, methodical, and patient; as if the animals were secure in the knowledge that, where ever their target fled, it was only a matter of time.

Danni understood how those creatures must have felt; trapped, desperately seeking some manner of escape and knowing that none existed.

Then, just as quickly, the feeling vanished and she inhaled, Steeling herself, she rose and made herself walk, leisurely, to the shower room, flicking on the light in the process. Reaching for the toothbrush she had set out on the diminutive sink just a little while ago, and ignoring the tremors that racked her hand, Danni promptly and thoroughly brushed her teeth for the second time that morning. Her motions were automatic, robotic, an attempt to regain some sense of normalcy. The mint flavor was cool and pleasant on her tongue. Running a brush through her short curls, she gave herself a nod in the tiny mirror that hung on the wall, turned on her heel.

She turned off the light, darkness encompassing the room as thickly as the denial that she cloaked herself with.

It was a struggle to act as if nothing had happened, that the morning had been as perfectly normal as any other. Her steps on the stairs were light, a small smile danced around her lips, though, if one looked closely enough, they could see that it never reached her eyes.

* * *

When she reached the bottom of the staircase, she spotted Ray leaning a hip against the desk that had been set up near the wooden rails at the back of the garage area. A lighter burned in his hand as he lifted it to the end of his cigarette, closing it with a click.

Sunlight streamed in from the front of the firehouse, the large double doors swung open wide. Dust from outside swirled through the beams and Danni breathed in deeply the scents that wafted in; exhaust, hot asphalt, and the smell of heat that always accompanied summer.

The smoking stick of tobacco was clenched firmly at the corner of his mouth as Danni strode towards him. Reaching, up, she plucked it from his lips and took a deep drag, exhaling through her nostrils, the smoke curling as if from a breathing dragon.

Ray gave her an inquisitive look, but she just shook her head quietly and put the cigarette back where she had found it, her lips twitching when his closed around the butt.

"Ready?" he asked around the cigarette and she nodded.

"Yep, let's roll. Are we taking that monstrosity over there or the subway like normal people?"

He glanced at her askance as they approached the Ecto-1, opening the driver's door.

"Well, that answers my question," she muttered under her breath, giving the car an apprehensive glance as she slid into the passenger seat and clicked her seat belt.

Ray started the ignition, both of them grinning at the loud, rumbling purr of the engine. Danni laid her head back on the headrest.

"Ah, the sound of tuned perfection," she murmured appreciatively.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed as he shifted into reverse, easing onto the surprisingly clear street. Then she remembered it was Tuesday and it made more sense. Suddenly, the car jerked forward with a shudder and Danni grabbed her door reflexively.

"You got it?" she asked with an arched brow as the car lurched.

Ray spun the wheel and they screeched around the corner, Danni's grip on the door tightening.

"Ray?" she asked again, louder.

"Huh? oh, yeah, Danni?"

The speed increased as they rounded another corner and she felt the seat belt strain against her collarbone as gravity pulled her towards the console. Her glare was lost on him, so she simply let out a breath.

"Nothing, just...get us there in one piece, eh?"

His brow furrowed in confusion and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she shifted her grip on the door and her weight so that she wouldn't slam into anything else for the rest of the ride.

Thankfully, Ray parallel parked the Ecto-1 without the sound of screeching metal or ear-splitting crashes. Trying to appear casual despite her mad dash from what she had mentally dubbed the Ecto-Deadly One, Danni stepped onto the curb, tilting her head back to take in Ray's entrepreneurial enterprise.

His name was blazoned in bright yellow, the storefront lit, but it looked dingy and unkempt. A sign in the large display window told passers-by that the business was yet to be open to the public. Ray exited the vehicle, locked the door, and came to stand beside her on the sidewalk.

"So, whatcha think?" he asked her cheerily and Danni struggled to find the most aptly flattering description.

"It's-well, it's...got potential, that's certain. You've chosen an excellent location to set up."

He beamed down at her before twirling his keyring around his index finger, inserting the key in the lock and whistling happily. Danni grinned behind him, hard pressed to dampen his enthusiasm. Truth be told, she enjoyed it.

He held the door open for her, the small bell tinkling merrily as she passed through. The heavy odor of must, darkness, and age assailed her nose and she breathed deeply, reveling in it.

"Ah, it smells like the New York Library's basement," she murmured, letting her eyes adjust to the cavernous gloom, "pretty cool atmosphere too."

He shut and locked the door behind them as she navigated through the maze of stacked boxes. Crates of books, glass jars, figurines, and other various bits of merchandise littered the sales floor, set on the cases, the shelves, everywhere. Running a hand through her dark hair, Danni half-turned towards Ray as she surveyed the amount of work they were going to have to do to make the place even a quarter decent.

"You think so? I wasn't sure it would attract the right customers."

"There's a right kind of customer?" she asked skeptically and he gave her a Cheshire grin.

"Witches," he replied, eyes gleaming and she chuckled.

"Oh, I think they'll descend here like it was a specialty broom store. Now, the real question is, where do we get started?"

She moved towards a nearby large cardboard container, tugging apart the flaps gently. Inside was a haphazard pile of tomes, many leather bound and darkly stained. Gingerly, she lifted one up to the light, inspecting its archaically decorated cover.

"Flashy," she observed dryly, noting the clean, white crispness of the pages, the nearly flawless condition of the cover.

"Ah, gorgeous, isn't it? _Guide to Fame_ _and Fortune through Your Spirit Guide_, I got several copies wholesale."

"I can see why," Danni muttered under her breath, mentally scoffing at the contents as she leafed through the pages.

"Hmm?" he asked her distractedly, bent over another box across the room.

"Nothing, Ray. Here, where do you want these?"

She grabbed several books and cradled them carefully in her arms, moving towards the shelves near him along the far wall as he craned his neck to look over at her.

"Huh? Oh, I give you free rein to organize as you see fit. I'm- well, it's not-"

"You are chaos," she interrupted him, each word punctuated slowly with a setting of a tome on the wooden shelf.

Ray gave her a sheepish smile, one that made him appear adorably boyish. Taking pity on him, she leaned over and softly bumped her nose against his cheek.

"But I love chaos, so it's all well and good. Now, why don't we set these up alphabetically, by author and then content, and see where it goes? I think books is where the bulk of the stuff is anyway, so we ought to get them out of the way first."

"I completely agree," he concurred, a light blush coating his cheeks, which made her laugh quietly to herself.

He always was so shy, even if he was ten years older than her.

"Come on, then, there's work to be done, as they say in the movie."

He tilted his head at her as she placed a stack of books in his hands.

"Which one?"

She paused long enough to give him a dirty look, affecting a mock serious tone.

"If you tell me that you've never seen _The Hobbit_, I will walk out of that door, Ray."

He huffed at her.

"Well, of course I've seen it. You only made Egon and I watch it with you a dozen times. You'll probably make us watch it again as soon as you make it to the video store."

She grinned impishly at him.

"You'd better believe it!"

He groaned loudly, but she chose to ignore him, checking the spines of various tomes before rifling through the pages and setting them on the shelf. Quietly, she talked to herself, cataloging as she went.

"Self-improvement, self-improvement, spells- what the hell? No, you go there...fiction, biography, self-improvement again-"

The list went on, the hours ticking by as, one by one, the boxes emptied. Several rearrangements and adjustments had to be made, but, by the time 2:00 rolled around, Danni was fairly satisfied, and hungry. Rubbing at her grumbling stomach, she stepped down from the small stool she had discovered in a corner.

Ray must have seen her hand from where he was standing at the counter, the glass display cases opened wide, the red velvet blood bright and unoccupied. The rows that lined upwards behind it were still empty and beginning to gather dust, making Danni sneeze lightly.

"Bless you," he said automatically, then added, "How'd you like for me to run down to the corner and get a couple of calzones?"

Danni's mouth watered.

"Mmmm, pepperoni, extra cheese?" she asked hopefully, her eyes wide and pleading, making him chuckle.

"Sure, sure," then he poked her in the ribs, "you need all the help you can get."

Growling at him playfully, she dug her index finger into his stomach.

"So do you, lest you grow another inch sideways."

He put a hand to his chest, giving her a hurt look and she bit her lip, trying to keep her lips from curving upwards.

"Oh, please, you'll live," she teased, then gave his shoulder an easy push, "Now go and bring me that piece of heaven that shall keep me working for you happily and quietly."

His steps became hurried then and she couldn't keep from giggling.

"Lock up behind me, alright?"

"Lock up. Yes, master, yes," she replied, green eyes twinkling as she let out a low, manical laugh that had him raising his brows.

Waving him out the door, she locked the deadbolt behind him and leaned against the door. Danni sighed as she watched him stride down the damp street, puddles of dirty water rippling from the raindrops that fell with the newly clouded sky. Chuckling to herself as she saw him struggle to light a cigarette, she moved back to the partially filled bookcase.

Her hand closed around a worn paperback and she thumbed through it, determining that it was another self help book. Letting out a sigh, she made space for it, her thoughts floating in her mind languidly.

Suddenly, she shivered, a cold draft flowing past her. Frowning, she rubbed her arms as the temperature seemed to drop drastically. Finding the jacket that Ray had left behind him when he had left, draped over the counter, she tugged it over her, comforted by the scent of cigarette smoke and something that was just Ray.

Turning back around, Danni's eyes widened, the color draining from her face, her voice coming out in barely a whisper.

"Oh, Sweet Jesus, save me."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **_**Here's the latest chappie, gang, I apologize for it's shortness, but I promise a much longer one soon! I hope you review and enjoy! Oh, and don't worry about Winston, he's coming up soon, I'd never forget him. :)**

* * *

Danni barely felt the sharp edges of her teeth biting mercilessly into the flesh of her knuckles. Tears pricked at the corners of her darkly green eyes as she stared, horrified.

She had only turned her back for a second, the edges of the coat trembling against her thigh, the thought scarcely registering that she was shaking badly. Her breath escaped past her lips in a hiss and she strained the muscle of her jaw in order to keep it secured against her knuckle and not chattering as if she were trapped in an icebox. Swallowing past the dry lump that had risen in her throat, Danni edged closer, back towards the lower shelves, her wide eyes unable to wretch themselves away from where they had landed.

It felt as though her blood had turned to snowy slush, sluggish and freezing as it coursed through veins that had become cold, tight tunnels. It was an icy, heavy sensation that crawled over her skin to settle dully in her stomach.

The books…the books had been moved, though she could scarcely believe it. Nothing like this had been happening in Montana; not then, not before, and not since.

It was a strange configuration and, despite the feeling of dread that crept over her, she tried to make sense of it. Green eyes scanned over the spines that had been lain face up on the floor, some lining up with others into strange shapes, others simply placed next to one another. Then it dawned on her. A pattern of letters came together to form a single word, one that she could not place into context.

_W-A-T-E-R_

"Water," she mouthed, an innate curiosity overcoming her initial fear.

Such a strange message to exert effort to give, she thought, beginning to come out of her stunned trepidation, and started turning her head. Adrenaline made her jittery, jumpy, as she twisted in a slow circle, her mind making the attempt to wrap itself around concepts that, even with her open mind, was difficult. What intangible being possessed enough energy to manipulate physical objects, but not enough to manifest. Her gaze roved across various objects in the room, many of which possessed some sort of potential energy source, supernatural and otherwise.

She nodded to herself, her fist unclenching as her fingers began to rapidly tap against her lips, her anxiety falling away as she mused over the puzzle presented to her. This hadn't seemed malicious in its intent, more like a warning from someone concerned. But who or what? And why? So far the activity around her had been unnerving, downright frightening in some instances, but nothing had attempted to harm her yet. Was she supposed to look for water? Avoid it? What kind of water? Or was it the answer to an entirely different set of circumstances, unrelated to her altogether?

The swirling vortex of questions made her head hurt, so she let out a deep, cleansing breath and began to reorganize the shelves, wiping away the traces of her encounter.

The monotony of establishing a routine for her work calmed her agitation, clearing her mind so that, for a little while, at least, she could get by without thinking.

* * *

When Ray returned, Danni was calmly stacking volumes along the shelves, her fingers rapidly moving against spines as she whisked through boxes. Setting down the steaming aluminum wraps, along with two large containers of soda, on the countertop, he tilted his head towards her.

"Hey, your calzone's gonna get cold."

She didn't respond for a moment, a distracted expression on her features as she moved, almost mechanically. She hummed, her voice lilting so that it seemed like a questioning sound.

"Your food is starting to get icicles, so how about leaving the books long enough to eat it while you can enjoy it, huh?"

"Oh...right, sure."

Danni straightened and crossed the room, unwrapping her piece of pepperoni heaven and chewing it slowly, though she didn't seem to actually taste it. Ray watched her quietly for a long time, concern furrowing his brow. Finally, he reached out and touched her, making her jump.

"Sorry, sorry, didn't mean to scare ya," he gently tapped her temple with the blunt tip of his index finger, "What's going on in there, eh?"

She let out a sigh, running a hand through her short mop of dark curls.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm just...really distracted this afternoon for some reason."

The statement hung heavily in the air between them and he half suspected that she wasn't telling him everything. Then, he lifted his shoulders in a shrug; when she was ready, she'd talk and not before. She'd always been like that, staying in her head until whatever was bothering her worked itself out in there. Besides, how was it his business?

"Looks like you've knocked out most of the shelves while I was gone," he observed, changing the subject and she nodded.

"Oh, yeah, it wasn't too terrible. I've had worse jobs."

He glanced at the serious set to her features, then poked her in the ribs roughly with his index finger.

"Do tell," he said, fighting back the grin when she yelped and eye him ruefully.

"Why should I, you abusive ogre?" she shot back, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips.

He crackled the foil that had wrapped the remains of her calzone.

"Because the ogre fed you, ingrate."

She snorted, brushing away the crumbs that had fallen to her lap.

"Fine, fine, I worked retail in a candle shop."

He blinked.

"And?"

She eyed him a moment, then shook her head, shuddering dramatically.

"Evil need not be described."

Ray laughed then and she let out a soft chuckle, whatever had been weighing on her seeming to have lifted somewhat. Her dark green eyes danced as she stood straight, taking a deep gulp of her soda before setting it down and hooking her thumbs in her pockets. Rolling her shoulders, she let out a sigh and turned her head towards the stacks of boxes still lining the room.

"I suppose we ought to tackle some of the other merchandise," she hummed under her breath, walking towards a small box and tugging apart the cardboard flaps, "What's all this?"

He straightened from the counter and moved to stand next to her, peering over her shoulder. Ray caught the scent that wafted from the curled strands of her hair, like apples. It was pleasant to breathe in, he thought absently, as he reached around her, his arm brushing the warm skin of hers. Tipping the box slightly, he looked inside.

"Incense burners," he answered, lifting one out of the box, the leering face of an ancient-looking tree staring back at him lewdly.

Danni made a face at another one as she took it in hand, turning the ceramic over to examine it.

"Ugly little buggers."

"Nah, they just have character."

"Yeah, like the wicked forest from _Snow White_ kinda character."

"You're so jaded."

"You're so right."

She wiggled her eyebrows in an exaggerated manner, her grin impish. She had a fey face, he had always thought, as if she had possessed some mischievous, ethereal knowledge that constantly amused her. These days, it was tempered with an occasional somberness, as if some of the magic that had surrounded her like a cloak had simply vanished, winked out of existence. As a teenager, she had a lightness of step and demeanor, quick to smile and an even quicker tongue. Now, the tread of her feet seemed heavier, the smile forced.

Danni hadn't said much of anything concerning her time in Montana, an adventure she had nearly been vibrating with excitement about just before she took off. It's a big country out there, she had told him, many souls had lost themselves in a vastness that had never been fully tamed. Ray had suspected that fact was a driving force behind her decision to leave New York; she had wanted to find something, a piece of her life that she obviously had been unable to find on her home turf.

Many people had accused him of being absent-minded, scatter-brained, and too engrossed in his work to be observant, but Danni had a way of bringing him back out into the light. Her life had been closely intertwined with his at one time, and there were few days that went by when he hadn't wondered about her, where she had gone. She was the sibling he never had, their friendship a bridge for him, between like-minds, those on the fringes of accepted truths, and the rest of society, despite their age difference.

He had been in college when he had first met Egon and his Sprite-like little sister, ever in his shadow with her smaller hand tucked tightly in his lab coat pocket. Where Egon was quiet, thoughtful, Danni was like a breath of sea air; brash, invigorating, an intellectual and emotional storm ready to burst. There was a lot of baggage hidden behind those vivid green eyes, their vitality a mask for the steel wall that kept the inner demons at bay.

At fourteen, she had been a gangly, precocious woman-child, three grades ahead of her peers, and sharing an almost identical level of intellect with that of her elder brother. Their personalities, however, might as well have been as opposite as that of a reptile and a bird. Her mind was quick, agile, and a whirlwind of ever-changing ideas, whereas Egon was steady, methodical, and utterly focused on a single yet he had witnessed moments when their minds seemed to merge, terror the only logical sensation at the implication of the event.

By eighteen,after completing her bachelor's degree, she had thrown every typical act of rebellion in her parents' faces, only to find that they had dug in, trenches solidly furrowed between them. Ray had seen those fights too, had been given the honor of becoming her medic many nights when the stress and the sadness had become too much. The ease with which she snuck into the boys dorm, into the room that he and Egon shared, was disconcerting, suggesting a street savvy that he didn't want to acknowledge because it seemed so out of place in a girl who literally had the world at her fingertips, if she had cared to brush them against it. Even after all those nights of sitting up with her as she leaned into his shoulder, Danni never spoke about why she fought so terribly hard, but he had an inkling. Her decision to take off West had confirmed his theory; a life that had been planned for a child that had just barely become a woman was too much, crossing the line that had been drawn in the sand.

Her venture into the open world had been meant to find herself, like so many young people before her. She had intended to find some glimmer of instruction on what she needed to do with her life, hoping, and perhaps praying, that the veil between worlds would part and give her a sign. Coupling that dream with her joint interest in the paranormal with her brother, the one tie to family that she didn't sever, and the loaded die fell where she had wanted; on escape. An escape to the underbelly of human understanding, to find the answers that they had all been seeking. Ray had suspected then as he did now that she had every intention of discovering a truth about every aspect of life, and death, that all sentient beings faced.

And yet he found himself considering just what it was she had lost, in the shades of grey within the unknown, to find the end of her quest.

Then again, she hadn't said if the search had ended, had she?

* * *

Danni shut the car door with a soft grunt, her back sore and stiff from the hours of bending and lifting. She didn't regret it, though, a sense of pride filling her when she had stood in the middle of Ray's store, admiring their handiwork.

Speaking of the devil, Ray slid into the driver's seat beside her, giving her a tired smile.

"Looks pretty good in there, huh?"

She nodded, propping her elbow on the door and her chin in her hand. He swiftly lit a cigarette and blew out a stream of smoke from between his lips as he leaned forward to start the ignition. Ecto-1 rumbled to life and Ray smoothly pulled into traffic. The city lights were bright as they rushed past the car, but Danni hardly paid them any mind. Soothing blues music was wafting from the speakers and she reached into her coat pocket for her pack of menthol's. Clenching the butt between her lips, she lifted her lighter, cupping her hand around the flickering flame as the wind rushed past the open window.

Letting out a pleased sigh, she let her head fall back against the car seat. The events of the day began to play back in her mind's eye and she shook her head hard to dispel them.

"You've got a big space on the second floor. What're you gonna do with it?" she asked in an attempt at distraction.

"Hmm? Oh, I dunno yet, but I was thinking of turning it into an apartment, maybe renting it out. I guess I could always use more floorspace, though..."

He trailed off with another hum and Danni glanced at him speculatively, flicking ash out into the night.

"I could rent it, you know. Hell, it'd beat sleeping in the same room with you three chainsaws."

The teasing lilt to her voice took out any unintentional sting in her words and he chuckled.

"I bet. But you'd be living rent-free, you know that right?"

Danni let out a squawk of disbelief and indignation, almost coughing on the drag she had just taken.

"Am not! That'd just be unethical!"

He gave her an amused look as he swerved around the next corner, bumping her into the door and reminding her that it was best if she held on to something while he drove.

"Even if I was paying you to work in the store?"

She blinked, his words taking time to process for some reason.

"Ray," she said softly, her expression a mixture of gratitude and affection, "I appreciate it, but I couldn't-"

"Why not? You need a job and a roof over your head, I need someone to help me run the shop. How is that not a mutually beneficial arrangement?"

She glared at him, trying to muster a counter argument.

"Because you need a roof too and it's your building, so you get dibbs."

He grinned at her.

"Alright, dibbs, and thus I pass the second floor onto you to do with as you see fit."

Danni groaned, tossing the butt of her cigarette out the window, along with her resolve to debate. She was just too damned tired to fight him.

"Fine, fine, I concede, for the moment."

His grin didn't falter.

"I thought you might."


End file.
